Overview:
A group organized by the informal organization Upper Valley Veterans and Supporters recognizes Memorial Day, thanks VA Medical Center staff, and protests Trump administration policies affecting the VA outside the gates of the White River Junction, Vt., facility on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Jake Guest, of Thetford, and Gwynn Gerber organized a rally outside the White River Junction VA Medical Center on Thursday through their informal group Upper Valley Veterans and Supporters.
The event sought to show appreciation for VA staff and protest the Trump administration’s policies affecting the Veterans Administration. It included a rendition of of “God Bless America” and a speech by state Sen. Joe Major, D-White River Junction.
“It is so vitally important that we support our current veterans, but Memorial Day is for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Major, an Army veteran, said.
“Sometimes we think about a day off of work, but it really is about those who did not come home, and so we honor them,” he added, before reading the names of Hartford residents who died while serving in World War I.
